Index, ETF option volumes near midday

Total option volume is light again today at 4.9 million contracts so far, with mixed sentiment in the major indexes and ETFs, according to optionMONSTER's data systems.

Just shy of 800,000 options have traded in the SPDR S&P 500 Fund (SPY), including 492,000 puts. Next up are the iShares Russell 2000 Fund (IWM) options at 176,000, though it has a put/call ratio of almost 5 to 1. Just behind are the CBOE Volatility Index (:VIX) contracts at 175,000 and the exact opposite ratio.